European Union regulators have accused Microsoft of engaging in potentially abusive practices that violate the bloc's antitrust rules. The accusation stems from Microsoft's bundling of its Teams messaging and videoconferencing app with its widely used business software.
The European Commission expressed concerns that Microsoft's actions may be restricting competition by integrating Teams with core office productivity applications like Office 365 and Microsoft 365. The commission suspects that Microsoft may have given Teams a distribution advantage by not providing customers with the option to choose whether to include Teams when purchasing the software.
The investigation into Microsoft's practices was initiated in July 2023 following a complaint filed by Slack Technologies, a competitor that offers popular workplace messaging software. While Microsoft has made some changes by offering software packages without Teams, the commission believes that these adjustments are insufficient to address its competition concerns. The commission has called on Microsoft to take further steps to restore competition in the market.
In response to the commission's findings, Microsoft President Brad Smith acknowledged the need for additional measures. Smith stated that Microsoft has unbundled Teams and taken initial steps towards interoperability. He expressed a commitment to working with the commission to find solutions that address the remaining concerns raised by the investigation.
